The upcoming maintenance shutdown of the Lesotho Highlands Water Project (LHWP) from October will have significant implications for agriculture in the region. With the cessation of water delivery to Mzansi for six months, farmers are bracing themselves for challenges in water availability and irrigation.
The Lesotho Highlands Development Authority (LHDA) has announced the planned maintenance of key components of the water delivery system, including the transfer tunnel from Katse Dam to Muela Hydropower Station and the delivery tunnel from Muela Station to Ash River Outfall in Mzansi.
Impact on agriculture unavoidable
This maintenance, occurring every five years for inspections and every 10 years for maintenance, aims to ensure the efficiency and safety of the LHWP infrastructure.
Mpho Brown, public relations manager at the Lesotho Highlands Development Authority, clarified that while maintenance is essential, its impact on agriculture cannot be ignored.
“The maintenance is part of planned maintenance of the LHWP tunnel system and infrastructure but it will unavoidably affect water availability for agriculture in the region,” Brown said.
Farmers, particularly those in Gauteng and the Free State, are concerned about the implications of the shutdown.
Anthony Turton, director of Nanodyn Systems, highlighted the issue of illegal abstraction of water by farmers along the river, which accounts for a significant portion of the water supply.
“Those farmers are going to obviously be affected because they have grown accustomed to taking that water out of the river, but it is not their water to take out,” Turton said.
Meanwhile, Wisane Mavasa, spokesperson for the department of water and sanitation, acknowledged the potential challenges the agricultural sector could face but assured that efforts are being made to mitigate the impact on agriculture.
“The department started engagements with all the affected municipalities, as well as interested and affected stakeholders and government departments as far back as 2021, informing them of the planned tunnel closure and urging the municipalities to put contingency measures in place to ensure water supply during the closure period,” Mavasa explained.
Saulspoort Dam: A temporary solution
Mavasa said to secure water for local users who directly abstract from tributaries receiving tunnel outflows, measures such as filling the Saulspoort Dam at the commencement of the tunnel outage period are being implemented.
“An analysis showed that a full Saulspoort Dam and catchment run-off accruals will be able to provide water for local requirements without support from the Lesotho Highlands tunnel outflows for a period of up to nine months.
“The municipalities affected by the outage are expected to have plans in place to augment their water supply with sufficient short-term storage as they will not be able to rely on run-of-river supply only during the outage period,” she said.
Despite these efforts, farmers are urged to plan accordingly and use water sparingly during this period. A water restriction notice is being prepared to manage water usage efficiently.
Mavasa said the department emphasises the importance of communication and stakeholder engagement to ensure that agriculture, a vital sector in the region, can navigate through this challenging period with minimal disruptions.
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